BizFuel of Lawrence & Douglas County Public/Private Partnership

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING:

This MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING is entered into this ____ day of ______________, ___, by and between City of Lawrence, Douglas County, Economic Development Corporation of Douglas County, Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, KU Small Business Development Center, and the Lawrence Public Library (the “Partners”).

WHEREAS, it is the desire of the above public/private partnership provide collaborative efforts to: address employment gaps; assess real-time employer needs; identify and refine policy/regulatory processes; provide entrepreneurial education, research, support, and financial opportunities; and, implement an entrepreneurial ecosystem that spurs innovation and entrepreneurial development;

WHEREAS, Small to Medium Enterprises (“SMEs”) are and will continue to be primary to our economic development priorities. These SMEs typically have 1-99 employees, have annual revenues that range from a Start-Up $0 to $50 Million and have a desire to grow locally (Edward Lowe Foundation);

WHEREAS, it is estimated that SMEs accounted for 63% of the net new jobs created between 1993 and mid-2013 (or 14.3 million of the 22.9 million net new jobs). Since the end of the recession (from mid-2009 to mid-2013), SMEs accounted for 60 percent of the net new jobs. SMEs in the 20-499 employee category created the most new jobs (SBA’s Office of Advocacy);

WHEREAS, SMEs have different growth patterns and vary widely in size and stage, yet all have the capacity for growth. Partners will provide a local definition for SMEs to better assist the varied businesses with growth opportunities where appropriate;

WHEREAS, it is further recognized that there are abundant and exceptional resources to grow existing small businesses and support the creation of new entrepreneurial ventures, but these resources lack coordination for maximum impact; and

WHEREAS, the Partners agree that they will work together in partnership to grow local SMEs, regardless of size or stage, through a collaborative effort known as BizFuel, a dedicated SME network.

THEREFORE, the Partners hereby enter into this STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING and agree as follows:

The parties will collaborate to build “Biz Fuel”, a dedicated SME Network.

The purpose of BizFuel is for the Partners to work together, employing a collective impact approach to assist SMEs to start, grow, add jobs, and succeed. Partners will continue to exist independently within their organizational structures and plans of action; but agree to work collaboratively to provide strategic efforts for SMEs in Lawrence and Douglas County. Functions and Activities of BizFuel will include, but are not limited to: providing structure (catalyst only-entrepreneurs have to lead); offering events; addressing employment gaps; assessing real-time SME needs; refining policy/regulatory processes; and providing educational resources and financial opportunity.

The Partners agree to commit resources to fulfilling the mission of this agreement including, but not limited to, dedicating staffing positions to the effort. The staff positions responsible for working together to coordinate efforts will be determined by the Partners. The following staff positions have been identified by the Partners as essential to the initial efforts of BizFuel: the Small Business Facilitator (City), the Vice President of the Economic Development Corporation of Lawrence and Douglas County (EDC), and the Director of the KU Small Business Development Center.

The Mission of (BizFuel) is as follows:

Mission

To assist SMEs to start, grow, add jobs, and succeed by building an entrepreneurial environment that will spur educational advancement, networking, technical assistance, research, advocacy, and/or work to foster SME collaboration and connections.

Each Partner within the “Collective Impact Approach” agrees to:

(a) Build a working definition for our local SMEs which categorizes SMEs according to size and stage;

(b) Build a listing of services that assist SMEs at all levels;

(d) Utilize the existing City/County Business Guide and continue to expand it according to additional resource opportunities,

(e) Build a minimum of two metrics within its respective organizational annual plan that measures the success of SMEs and the BizFuel’s partnership;

(f) Share resources and utilize a referral system to primary partners when helping SMEs advance through BizFuel (SME Network) Partners;

(g) Provide structure to assess and inventory SMEs real-time and future forecasts, address SMEs gaps locally, create events to spur innovation, deliver entrepreneurial/financial workshops, identify SME policy/regulatory gaps, and provide technical assistance;

(h) Expose BizFuel and SMEs to media outlets to provide positive press and/or show each BizFuel’s commitment to growing our local SME Community;

(i) Actively participate and or bring community leaders to BizFuel or SME events that will directly and indirectly support SMEs and/or provide business to business opportunities.

(j) Build a shared calendar to identify all SME activity and opportunities;

(k) Support, attend, and implement E-Accelerate Assessment steps and actions;

(l) Work together to assess a National grade or scorecard for Douglas County that will work to promote our community’s business climate and identify as “the” place to start and/or grow a business; and

(m) Meet with Partners quarterly and hold a fourth quarter strategic planning session that will direct BizFuel’s primary and secondary partner contributions and direction.

The Partners will be named primary partners; provided that, as momentum to support SMEs grows, BizFuel intends to evolve by adding secondary partners where appropriate.

The central responsibility of BizFuel is to act as a coordinated SME Network to provide services and support to facilitate, educational, legal, and financial gains for and on behalf of the SMEs of Douglas County. The Partners will meet consistently and less than a quarterly basis to share, plan, and work to advance SMEs.

BizFuel will allow the Partners to act within their areas of expertise to prioritize the many different needs of SMEs. This will allow each Partner to build BizFuel into their annual plan that will specifically serve our local businesses in a detailed capacity. That will contribute to the primary partnership of “BizFuel” Douglas County’s SME Network and will unveil continuous SME gains.

THIS AGREEMENT entered into and effective the _____ day of ___________, 2015.

THE CITY OF LAWRENCE

By:___________________________________

David L. Corliss, City Manager

DOUGLAS COUNTY

By: __________________________________

Craig Weinaug, County Administrator

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF LAWRENCE & DOUGLAS COUNTY

By: __________________________________

Larry McElwain, President/CEO

LAWRENCE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

By:___________________________________

Larry McElwain, President/CEO

KU SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER

By:__________________________________

Will Katz, Director

LAWRENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY

By:__________________________________

Brad Allen, Director